Measure for Measure

Measure for Measure does a lot of things right, starting with very good performance's from the whole cast especially Hugo Weaving, Harrison Gilbertson and Megan Hajjar, who all add a lot of emotion and put a large amount of passion in the film and it most definitely reflects well with their performances. The writing for the most part is well done, and you can definitely respect the talent of writers, Paul Ireland and Damian Hill for condensing a 4 hour Shakespeare play into a 2 hour adaptation with its own unique spin. The whole decision of making the film have an Australian underbelly, featuring two opposing gangs was unique and in that you get to explore the nitty gritty side of Melbourne at times which is very interesting to see. The shots of the city landscape during the film are also well done and at times can feel like a love letter to Melbourne.

This film is not perfect however, and I think some of it has to come from the source material, there are elements to the film that seem very sappy and cheesy at some points. Also the opening scene has some themes that make the film very intense and adds some serious weight whilst also speaking on some issues that Australia has faced when it comes to Crystal Meth, then it takes a complete 180 and becomes a love story for a good portion of the film which makes it hard to adjust to these differences. The film takes a good amount of time to find its footing, however once it did the film became very enjoyable to watch.

Overall I had a good time with Measure for Measure and it was an excellent experience to see this at the Brisbane International Film Festival and go to a Q & A with Director Paul Ireland, I just wish it had found a more harmonic balance between the gang and romantic themes in the story, especially in the beginning of the film.

Adaptation or not, you have to present material to an audience that is palpable. The source material is really irrelevant.

The presentation, in both script and direction feels amateurish and cliché. The crime element has been done to death. The romantic angle is so poorly presented, especially the early montage, complete with cheesy music. The drone shots are overdone and the direction is stale overall. The only thing that saves this film is the obvious class of Hugo Weaving, though the film is not worthy of him. Megan Smart tries. Nice to John Brumpton here too.

Australian funding bodies seem to have no interest in bringing in an audience. They all want to create some cultural art that reaches no one, made by the middle to upper classes, telling working class stories. It's a joke. We need original stories that can also entertain. You can create cultural significant stories while embedding in well crafted entertainment, such as in Mystery Road or crime tales like The Boys and Animal Kingdom. Surely there are also other stories worth telling?

The Australian Film Industry seems to make films for itself, trying to 'educate' society from the outside, writing their scripts in Albert Park cafes, wanting to change the world with their colossal egos, thumbing their stuck-up noses at audiences. At least, that's what they're funding. Plenty of good scripts, no doubt, never see the light of day.

How much talent has Australia lost to overseas? Not just actors but writers, directors, producers, cinematographers, the works. We need to invest money in actual talent and foster them from the ground up and lop off the head of nepotism. Too many people have given up because they can't catch a break while 'important' crap like this keeps getting made. Decent Australian films seem so far and few between.

Maybe the concept sounded delicious over a second bottle of red and a seafood linguine in a South Melbourne restaurant but all they delivered was a dried-out cheeseburger.

I love a good Aussie flick and this is one of them. Not a all time top ten but this will be remembered for some great acting from the two stalwarts HW & JB alongside some newer actors whom will no doubt be better know down the track. Great effort by all involved in production and special Kudos to director Paul Ireland, well done.

Whilst there are a few boring and drawn out moments M4M is overall good entertainment and that's what I like in a movie.

8.5 for me.

No one should have to TRY to get through a film and halfway through this one I called time of death. This is actor-turned-director Paul Ireland's second film and he has a lot to learn about directing including pacing. I defy, yes defy you to stay awake during this lamentable snooze-fest. The overall story isn't even interesting concerning petty drug distribution and a star-crossed inter-racial/religious romance. There's just been this whole crop of wasted-effort films being released recently like this including The Faceless Man, Widow's Point, Alpha Code, The Argument, Legacy of Lies, etc. The only good film recently released is "Odd Thomas". Try that one out fellow movie watcher.

Despite the bad comments here, the movie has a clean and clear flow. All roles were played well. My favorite part of the movie; there is no exaggeration in any scene. It definitely deserves a chance to watch.